Extension cords eyed in deadly Rockaway fire

ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP (AP) — The improper use of extension cords is one of the factors believed to be responsible for a house fire that killed a mother and her teenage son in Rockaway Township.

Authorities haven’t determined the exact cause of the Jan. 18 blaze in the home on Green Pond Road. They say it does not appear suspicious.

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office says the extension cords were in the area where the fire began. Investigators say cold weather, high winds and an insufficient number of smoke detectors also played roles.

Fifty-nine-year-old Pamela Decker and her 17-year-old son, Daniel, died in the fire. Her husband Brent, who was the boy’s father, survived.